I Wonder

PROFILE

Songwriters

Cecil Gant, Raymond Leveen

Year Written

1944

About I Wonder

“I Wonder” was first recorded by blues singer Cecil Gant, who as he was still serving in the Army just at the end of World War II, recorded as Pvt. Cecil Gant; the recording moved easily to #1 on Juke Box Race charts. In 1945, the Roosevelt Sykes recording replaced the Gant version as #1. Louis Armstrong recorded “I Wonder” in 1945, which reached #3 on the Juke Box chart. Aretha Franklin also recorded the song in 1967.

Lyrics

I wonder, my little darling
Where can you be this moonlit night?
Are you holding someone tight?
I wonder

My heart is aching, I’m a fool
To let it go on breaking
Maybe I’ll awake and find that I’m mistaken
I wonder

Baby, since we’re through, I’ve been through lover’s lane
But in my heart there’s only pain
You went traveling, but will it last?
While I’m traveling nowhere fast, sweetheart

I wonder, well, well, well, little baby
If this new love dies, where will you be?
Will your heart come running back to me?
Baby, I wonder

Session / Album Information

2002

“I Wonder,” a duet with k.d. lang, was recorded in March 2002 and released that same year on Tony Bennett & k.d. lang: A Wonderful World. Vocal arrangements were by Rob Mathes. The album was orchestrated and conducted by Peter Matz, with musical direction and arrangements by Lee Musiker.